[The Left]

Group: Sandinista Leader Ortega Wins Nicaragua Presidency

Monday , November 06, 2006


MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Leftist Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega appeared Monday to have easily defeated four other presidential candidates in his long quest to return to power 16 years after a U.S.-backed rebellion helped force him from office, according to a respected electoral observer group projecting victory based on a sampling of the votes.

Ortega's victory, if confirmed by final results, would give Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez a strong ally in the region while threatening U.S. aid to the second-poorest nation in the hemisphere.

News of Ortega's possible victory was met with fireworks and jubilant street parties by his supporters. But many here still have bitter memories of the Sandinistas' decade in power, in which homes and businesses were seized and a war with Contra rebels left 30,000 dead.

The race was Ortega's fifth consecutive presidential campaign. He won an 1984 election boycotted by Sandinista opponents, then lost in 1990 to Violeta Chamorro, ending Sandinista rule and the Contra war. His next two presidential attempts, in 1996 and 2001, were also failures.

The quick count by the Nicaraguan Civic Group for Ethics and Transparency gave Ortega 38.5 percent of the vote to 29.5 percent for Harvard-educated Eduardo Montealegre of the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance, a party that broke from the ruling Constitutionalist Liberal Party after former President Arnoldo Aleman was convicted of corruption.

Trailing were Sandinista dissident Edmundo Jarquin, ruling-party candidate Jose Rizo and former Contra rebel Eden Pastora.

The quick count, based on results from a representative sample of polling stations, had a margin of error of 1.7 percentage points. Ortega's four opponents asked the group to carry out the count as a gauge of whether final results were reliable. They had expressed concern that the Supreme Electoral Tribunal was controlled by the Sandinistas and could influence the final vote.

Montealegre brushed aside Ortega's lead, saying: "No one has won here. The Nicaraguan people, in a runoff, will determine the next president." Ruling party spokesman Leonel Teller warned that electoral authorities were "inciting something could end in blood and violence."

Thanks to a change in electoral law, Ortega needs only 35 percent of the vote and an advantage of 5 percentage points over his closest rival to avoid a runoff in December. Before, he would have needed 45 percent to avoid a runoff.

The U.S. Embassy issued a statement late Sunday saying it was too soon to "make an overall judgment on the fairness and transparency of the process."

"We are receiving reports of some anomalies in the electoral process, including the late opening of (polling places), the slowness of the voting process and the premature closing of some" polling places, it said.

Roberto Rivas, president of the Supreme Electoral Council, blasted the U.S. statement, saying, "We have promised the Nicaraguan people transparent elections, and that's what we've done. I think there were enough observers to witness that."

At stake are millions of dollars in potential investments, many from foreign companies drawn to Nicaragua by its cheap labor, low crime rates and decision to join the new Central American Free Trade Agreement. But many businesses are waiting to see if Ortega wins and stays true to promises to continue free trade policies before they decide whether to invest.

"We are playing with the stability of the country," said Jose Adan Aguirre, president of the Chamber of Commerce.

Observers said voting overall was peaceful, although many polling stations opened late, leaving long lines of people waiting to cast their ballots. After the polls closed, groups of angry voters pounded on shuttered doors, screaming at officials inside to let them vote.

Ortega didn't make any public statements early Monday, but he said repeatedly during the campaign that he has changed. In fact, his vice presidential candidate was once one of his biggest enemies: Jaime Morales, who served as the spokesman for the Contras.

As Sandinista leader, Ortega seized Morales' six-bedroom estate, but they reconciled after Ortega offered to pay Morales for his former home -- now Ortega's campaign headquarters.

Marvin Lopez, a 46-year-old doctor waiting in a long line at the same polling station where Ortega voted, said he feared Ortega would bring back uncontrollable inflation and conflict.

"I don't want to return to a dictatorship, the misery, the abuse of families' rights," he said.

Waiting at the end of the line was 26-year-old student Gema Amaya Larios, who said she woke up at dawn to cast her vote for Ortega.

"He's the only one who will give the people what they need," she said. "Everyone else just cares about their own interests."

If Ortega wins, she predicted that his presidency would be different from his 1985-1990 term.

"There was an embargo, a war," she said. "Besides, we all learn from our mistakes."

Armed soldiers kept guard at polling stations monitored by more than 18,000 observers -- including three former presidents: the United States' Jimmy Carter, Peru's Alejandro Toledo and Panama's Nicolas Ardito Barletta.

Nicaraguan presidents cannot serve two consecutive terms, and President Enrique Bolanos steps down Jan. 10.


FOXNews.com - Group: Sandinista Leader Ortega Wins Nicaragua Presidency - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News

lets keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!! vote early and often!!!!

[DLQ2006]

Originally Posted by The Left 

Group: Sandinista Leader Ortega Wins Nicaragua Presidency

Monday , November 06, 2006


MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Leftist Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega appeared Monday to have easily defeated four other presidential candidates in his long quest to return to power 16 years after a U.S.-backed rebellion helped force him from office, according to a respected electoral observer group projecting victory based on a sampling of the votes.

Ortega's victory, if confirmed by final results, would give Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez a strong ally in the region while threatening U.S. aid to the second-poorest nation in the hemisphere.

Wow! The demise of Pol Pot must have been a real bummer for you huh?

[The Left]

Originally Posted by DLQ2006 

Wow! The demise of Pol Pot must have been a real bummer for you huh?

upset about Ortega winning a triumph of an election?

or upset about today's Democratic victories of at least a gain of 40 (I'd say 50 to 60 hopefully!) house seats & 7 Senate seats?

[DLQ2006]

Originally Posted by The Left 

upset about Ortega winning a triumph of an election?

or upset about today's Democratic victories of at least a gain of 40 (I'd say 50 to 60 hopefully!) house seats & 7 Senate seats?

Will you still be happy when Ortega follows in the footsteps of every other leftist, tyrannical leader that has ever won an "election" only to shortly thereafter declare himself ruler for life and proceed to rule with an iron fist? When the purging starts and the killing fields and gulags are in full swing and people are starving to death because of the failed idea that communism creates a workers paradise, will you still be cheering for the likes of Castro, Chavez, and Ortega? When even far more boat people are showing up to escape the hellhole they live in, who will you be blaming? The conservatives I guess.

[The Left]

he was the victor in elections back when Reagan was around, but Reagan had to resort arming Iran to pay to get rid of Ortega.

fast forward to 2006 & Iran, we are now paying the price, yet again, for the damage done by Reagan.

[art_director]

I'm not convinced the Democrats will get the country on the right track. That said, if they win, it will stop the rubber-stamping Republican Congress from doing any more damage to our nation and our freedoms.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

The Democratic pre-election crowing is getting annoying. Am I the only one that remembers the last election? Geez. I'm hoping the Republicans take it again, just so I can point and laugh.

greg

[The Left]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

The Democratic pre-election crowing is getting annoying. Am I the only one that remembers the last election? Geez. I'm hoping the Republicans take it again, just so I can point and laugh.

greg

sorry but the polls clearly show a landmark Democratic victory.

[Dakar²]

Originally Posted by Joke Account 

sorry but the polls clearly show a landmark Democratic victory.

Fer sure

[typoon]

Originally Posted by The Left 

sorry but the polls clearly show a landmark Democratic victory.

That's because most if not all repbulicans are at work.

[DLQ2006]

Originally Posted by The Left 

he was the victor in elections back when Reagan was around, but Reagan had to resort arming Iran to pay to get rid of Ortega.

fast forward to 2006 & Iran, we are now paying the price, yet again, for the damage done by Reagan.

That's pure BS. Reagan did not ARM Iran. Unless you equate some shipments of small arms with arming a nation. If you want to blame some countries for the arming of Iran, take a look at Russia, France, and China. They are the ones that have been and are still arming Iran.

And the Democrats in congress at the time knew of the horrors being committed in Nicaragua under the Sandinistas and did their best to help them. The fact that you are cheering for such a cause tells us all we need to know about you. How come nobody like you ever picks up all of your things and goes to live in some communist bastion to try your luck at it? If it's so great and all? I mean, if it is the key to happiness and justice for all, wouldn't you do great there and be able to tell the rest of us all about it? Wouldn't that be the best way to show the world that all of those fleeing from those kinds of paradises don't know what they're talking about?

[The Left]

Originally Posted by DLQ2006 

That's pure BS. Reagan did not ARM Iran. Unless you equate some shipments of small arms with arming a nation. If you want to blame some countries for the arming of Iran, take a look at Russia, France, and China. They are the ones that have been and are still arming Iran.

And the Democrats in congress at the time knew of the horrors being committed in Nicaragua under the Sandinistas and did their best to help them. The fact that you are cheering for such a cause tells us all we need to know about you. How come nobody like you ever picks up all of your things and goes to live in some communist bastion to try your luck at it? If it's so great and all? I mean, if it is the key to happiness and justice for all, wouldn't you do great there and be able to tell the rest of us all about it? Wouldn't that be the best way to show the world that all of those fleeing from those kinds of paradises don't know what they're talking about?

because we need such a paradise right here in the USA

[typoon]

That's great so if the Democrats win we can become like Venezula or Nicaragua or Even Mexico. No thanks.

[The Left]

Originally Posted by typoon 

That's great so if the Democrats win we can become like Venezula or Nicaragua or Even Mexico. No thanks.

things to count on which will be victories for all people of the world:

1. We can now cut off funding for the illegal war on Iraq & impeach Bush/Cheney.

2. An immediate raise in the minimum wage ... this issue is hot with me, you have corporate PIGS AT THE TROUGH raking in MILLIONS in salaries while those who actually do the work just get by.

3. The environment, 'nuff said.

[vmarks]

The war is not illegal and there have been no high crimes and misdemeanors to be impeached upon. If there were, don't you think Congressional Democrats wouldn't have begun the proceedings?

I do not think you understand the way minimum wage works. When the minimum wage is raised, that raise has to be paid for by someone. So the company raises prices for consumers, fires employees. With raised consumer prices, the effect of a raised minimum wage is quickly diminished and more people are out of work because their salary had to be paid out to their co-workers. Minimum wages, especially the 'living wage' proposition do more harm than good.

But thanks.

[The Left]

is it ok to pass along to consumers the cost of exorbitant executive wages, but not worker wages to make a living wage?

[Ron Goodman]

I think it's only fitting that he's back. Bush has made such a mess in Iraq that he won't be able to mess with them like Reagan did.

[typoon]

Originally Posted by The Left 

things to count on which will be victories for all people of the world:

1. We can now cut off funding for the illegal war on Iraq & impeach Bush/Cheney.

2. An immediate raise in the minimum wage ... this issue is hot with me, you have corporate PIGS AT THE TROUGH raking in MILLIONS in salaries while those who actually do the work just get by.

3. The environment, 'nuff said.

Funny thing is that most of the Dems are the richest in congress. Raising the Minimum wage is more of a conservative issue.

Environment? maybe the whole country can be a nutty as California on the environment.

[typoon]

Originally Posted by The Left 

things to count on which will be victories for all people of the world:

1. We can now cut off funding for the illegal war on Iraq & impeach Bush/Cheney.

2. An immediate raise in the minimum wage ... this issue is hot with me, you have corporate PIGS AT THE TROUGH raking in MILLIONS in salaries while those who actually do the work just get by.

3. The environment, 'nuff said.

impeach Bush/Cheney? What are you going to impeach them on? Illegal war? I don't think so. They've blundered the running the war. I would impeach them on that alone.

[typoon]

It'll be great when the Dems win the White house too. We can become the USSA, United Socialist States of America.

[TheWOAT]

Originally Posted by typoon 

It'll be great when the Dems win the White house too. We can become the USSA, United Socialist States of America.

Coool. does that mean I get can collect checks even if I play video games all day? Ive always wanted to run a Franchise in Madden Football.